As globalization becomes more prominent, Transnational Corporations have more opportunities to expand to other countries. This causes the phenomenon called the homogenization of landscapes, which is the process of places becoming the same. Before globalization, different places have their own styles, so when outsiders pay a visit to the place, it is easy to know the history of the place.
As an example, in Great Britain, Cambridge is named as "King Clone" of UK. The name clone towns are given to towns inundated with chain stores with no sign of history. Chain stores are indirectly forcing out small local shops in towns across the UK, 4 out of 10 of Britain's high streets are undergoing this phenomenon.
Clone towns may be seen as signs of foreign investment, but it may cause detrimental effects too. Some of the effects include:
- loss of small independent businesses
- reduction of consumer choice
- chain stores' exploitation of suppliers
- identity loss of towns
- increase in average price of goods and services
